Rock Hardballers Top West Chester

Jovanovich, Schneider lead Rock hardballers past West Chester

Kevin Jovanovich collected three RBIs and Kyle Schneider struck out nine batters in Sunday's 4-1 win over the defending NCAA Division II national champions

3/17/2013


AUBURNDALE, Pa. – Junior utilityman Kevin Jovanovich collected three RBIs and sophomore right-hander Kyle Schneider struck out nine batters Sunday afternoon to lead Slippery Rock University to a 4-1 win over West Chester University in a battle of NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional baseball teams at Lake Myrtle Park.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for The Rock, who improved their season record to 10-4.

West Chester, the reigning NCAA Division II national champion, saw its season record fall to 5-7-1.

Jovanovich gave SRU a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning, then added a two-run single as part of a three-run seventh-inning eruption by The Rock.

Senior second baseman Matt Curtis and junior shortstop Will Kengor were each 3-for-4 as part of a nine-hit Rock offensive attack. Junior catcher Ryan LaRose earned a bases-loaded walk to push across the final Rock run in the seventh inning.

Schneider allowed one earned run on six hits and walked three batters in the first seven and one-third innings to pick up his fourth win in as many decisions this spring.

Junior right-hander John Kovalik struck out two batters in the final one and one-third innings and picked up his fourth save of the season.

The Rock continue their spring-break schedule when they take on Hillsdale College of Michigan in a 10 a.m. single game Monday at Chain O'Lakes Park in Winter Haven.

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Rock Hardballers Earn National Rankings

Rock hardballers earn national rankings

SRU (7-0), which is off to its best start since 2005, was ranked 18th by the
NCBWA, 25th by d2baseballnews.com and tied for 26th in the ABCA polls released
March 4-5

3/6/2013

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Slippery Rock University's baseball team, winners of their first seven games this spring, earlier this week made their first appearance of the season in Division II national polls.

The Rock, who are off to their best start since the 2005 team won its first eight and 15 of its first 16 games, were ranked 18th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll released last Tuesday, 25th in the d2baseballnews.com poll released that same day and tied for 26th in the American Baseball Coaches Association poll released last Monday.

The Rock are the No. 2 team in both the NCBWA and d2baseballnews.com Atlantic Region rankings, which have no bearing on the all-important NCAA regional rankings that will determine the teams that earn berths in regional competition in mid May.

SRU, under the direction of 27-year head coach Jeff Messer,  is scheduled to put its regional and national rankings on the line this weekend when it travels to Shippensburg for a three-game weekend series starting with a noon doubleheader Saturday and concluding with a noon single game Sunday at Art Fairchild Field.

Shippensburg, coached by former Rock pitching standout Matt Jones, is ranked 13th in the NCBWA poll, 15th in the d2baseballnews.com poll and 20th in the ABCA poll.

The Rock are scheduled to open their home schedule with a March 24 doubleheader vs. Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division rival Lock Haven.  First pitch at Jack Critchfield Park is set for 1 p.m.

--
Bob McComas
Sports Information Director
Slippery Rock University
1 Morrow Way - Room 201 Old Main
Slippery Rock, Pa. 16057
Office: 724.738.2777
Cell: 724.421.5658
Email: robert.mccomas@sru.eduwww.sru.edu

A ROCK SOLID Education